Watching Welcome to Wrexham, I saw an exchange where Wrexham AFC were playing … their opponents … on the road, and the Wrexham coach got into some rude banter with a fan (who appeared to be in her teens but I admit I’m a terrible judge of age). She was calling out a Wrexham player for faking (I think), letting loose a stream of four-letter words. The Wrexham coach looked up to her and said, and I’m paraphrasing here, “Look, I get that you think it’s fun to piss and moan about a bad call, but be realistic. And also, you’re supposed to be a lady,” with a smirk. She responded, and again I’m paraphrasing, “A fucking lady??? Fuck you, you fucking prat.”
A fun exchange played for laughs, and probably to illustrate the difference between European and American football (an American stadium would be built in such a way that a coach isn’t within easy earshot of a fan; not like the ten or so feet that separated those two). But seriously, is it not considered unprofessional for a coach to engage with an opposing fan like that? Does it go on all the time?
If you look at the difference between European and American stadia, you’ll notice that there is often much less separating the players/staff from the fans, sometimes as little as a railing. This goes not only for the bench area, but also along the playing field. The proximity makes it a lot easier and more likely for fans and players/staff to interact, because there’s far less of a protective bubble. In the particular case of Wrexham, the league in which they most recently played is full of grounds where there is very little to separate the fans from the players and staff. It makes for a much more intimate environment when you can carry a conversation, no matter how brief, with your favorite players. In many ways, it humanizes them.
I get that, but for a coach to get involved? Especially in rude banter with an opposing fan? Did the Wrexham coach cross some boundary or does this go on all the time?
There’s a long history of yanking each other’s chains. It’s mostly in good sport. Mostly. I think coaches/managers tend to rise above it, but not all do. Some are just more naturally pugnacious than others.
Thank you for that explanation. Apropos of nothing, this thread reminds me of the time King George V (I think - whoever preceded the guy who abdicated) visited the US and sat in the dugout with the team at a Major League Baseball game. The King’s man introduced His Majesty to the team’s manager, a rough-cut but jovial fellow. Upon being told that he was in the presence of King George V, the American manager responded, “How ya doin’, King?”